Irons MD & Prospecting thread

[Irons]

Wish ya luck.

Yeah me too thanks for sharing Rte! This is cool as hell the next shovel could hit a seam or a pocket just loaded with Gold! I would love to be able to prospect in a Gold bearing district like that.

Jeff Williams on youtube has a drift mine in the same general area and he hits layers of red clay and river gravels sitting on cemented caliche. There is fine Gold and occasional pickers in the red clay but when the caliche dips into a pocket the fine Gold is mixed with nuggets.

 

[newmisty]

This is cool as hell

That a newer adopted phrase for you Irons?

 

[Irons]

That a newer adopted phrase for you Irons?

Not really, I'm so old that my language is recycling. I used to say that a lot in the 80's.


.

 

[newmisty]

Not really, I'm so old that my language is recycling. I used to say that a lot in the 80's.


.

Im pretty shocked at how reliably cyclical trends are. Nothing new under the flat sun I suppose

 

[rte]

Well the take for Friday was average.
We figured that we moved a yard of dirt off the top.
Easy diggins, just slide a bucket under the dirt and knock it down in the bucket with a pick.
0.159 of a gram per yard of dirt and rocks.

 

[rte]

Yeah me too thanks for sharing Rte! This is cool as hell the next shovel could hit a seam or a pocket just loaded with Gold! I would love to be able to prospect in a Gold bearing district like that.

Jeff Williams on youtube has a drift mine in the same general area and he hits layers of red clay and river gravels sitting on cemented caliche. There is fine Gold and occasional pickers in the red clay but when the caliche dips into a pocket the fine Gold is mixed with nuggets.

Jeff Williams has his drift mine in Nevada.

 

[Irons]

Jeff Williams has his drift mine in Nevada.

I thought it was at the bottom of California, until I actually looked at a map.

 

[hammerhead]

I actually looked at a map.

Those things are cool.

 

[newmisty]

 

[newmisty]

 

[Irons]

 

[Irons]

 

[rte]

Well Irons hasn't been posting pictures of him prospecting thru sheets of ice like that guy on YouTube (flower gold wizard)
so we got out before the rain and tried out a new machine.

We did some lite vacuuming of the last 2 spots we've been working.
First spot yeald a 0.81 gram nugget and a few more small pieces.

For a total haul of 0.116 grams in 6 buckets.
Freddy Dodge on the gold rush tv show last night said that 1 ounce per 100 yards was good gold.
If my math is correct?
Were averaging 0.100gram per yard... 1gram per 10 yards and 10 grams in 100 yards on average of fine gold.
Good thing the pickers add up quicker.

 

[newmisty]

Well Irons hasn't been posting pictures of him prospecting thru sheets of ice like that guy on YouTube (flower gold wizard)
so we got out before the rain and tried out a new machine.
View attachment 238328
We did some lite vacuuming of the last 2 spots we've been working.
First spot yeald a 0.81 gram nugget and a few more small pieces. View attachment 238329
For a total haul of 0.116 grams in 6 buckets.
Freddy Dodge on the gold rush tv show last night said that 1 ounce per 100 yards was good gold.
If my math is correct?
Were averaging 0.100gram per yard... 1gram per 10 yards and 10 grams in 100 yards on average of fine gold.
Good thing the pickers add up quicker.

Sure is a dense little nugget!

 

[Bottom Feeder]

1 ounce per 100 yards was good gold.

I take that as meaning cubic yards. ?
(about one ton per yard³)

 

[rte]

Sure is a dense little nugget!

Yes it is, would really like to know the whereabouts of the rest of its gang is hiding out.

 

[rte]

I take that as meaning cubic yards. ?
(about one ton per yard³)

Something like that...cubic yard.
Were still working with 5 gallon buckets, so the math might be a little off.

 

[newmisty]

Yes it is, would really like to know the whereabouts of the rest of its gang is hiding out.

That's already driving me nuts and I'm not even the one who found it! Good luck Soldier!

 

[Irons]

Well Irons hasn't been posting pictures of him prospecting thru sheets of ice like that guy on YouTube (flower gold wizard)
so we got out before the rain and tried out a new machine.

First spot yeald a 0.81 gram nugget and a few more small pieces.

I did that today! Took my fingers longer than usual to get used to being in 32 degree water again though. Probably exposed them to frostbite a few too many times metal detecting. Ah well, get used to it they did and I panned for a few hours in the sunshine. It was very nice.

I went to the big Muskegon river and a creek that dumps into it in an area I drive past a lot on my way up north. I had been wanting to check it out so today was the day. The big river stretch I hit is above a major dam and pond so all I got was light sand, and I wasn't too surprised. The heavy stuff is probably buried under several feet of sediment. They drop the water level a lot for winter so right now you can run around in areas that are usually under water. Way upriver above all the dams is going to be the place to check out next.

Did slightly better going up the creek. Took me a while to find some compacted gravel and even then I had to dig like a mother to find a single fly poop of Gold. Good looking area but no good for Gold.

Had fun though and it was a beautiful day!

 

[rte]

Incase you want a glimpse of the polar opposite...
It rained 2 days ago and the desert was still damp.
Damp dont work for drywashing.
We decided to dig down a bit and pull out 2 rocks each the size of a 5 gallon bucket from the caliche layer.

Caliche layer is basically a conglomeration of material resembling concrete.
We vacuumed up some of the material around the 2 big rocks after we removed them and so far found Nothing.
Pretty much the same results as the last time we punched down into the caliche layer to see if it held any measurable gold.

Next trip to this spot we have about a yard of material drying on a tarp that we May or may not run...
After that we will just focus on the top 18 inches of reddish brown material and 2 inches into the caliche layer.

 

[rte]

Been dealing with the knee issue.
Some of the group were headed out to try some sluicing (it's the desert so bring your own water)
We went out to see everyone and say hello.
Got in a little physical therapy on the knee...did some lite hauling of dirt and rocks (about 1/3 the usual material in the buckets)
The gold results won't be in for a few days...expecting 1/3 of the usual take, but a random picker would not be turned away.

 

[rte]

The gold take for fridays physical therapy session was 0.159 of a gram for about 10 screened down 5 gallon buckets of material...half the normal amount of material moved with the average results.

 

[Unca Walt]

I am too high to do the 'rithmetic... Help me out: what does that amount to with gold at $1800? Just curious.

 

[rte]

I am too high to do the 'rithmetic... Help me out: what does that amount to with gold at $1800? Just curious.

I'd like to think its 22k, BECAUSE we had to work for it....
So almost made gas money.

 

[Unca Walt]

Dang... One time about 50-odd years ago, I bought a green pan and tried my luck in a little stream on my Bestbud's property (Villa Rica GA). I got 6 BB's, and a couple of .22 slugs. I have learned by watching videos that the two or three pans I tried never had a chance. I was putting the wrong material in the fargin pan. Easy, loose sand. Ah, well.

 

[DodgebyDave]

Hey, that's the rock from Pale Rider that Richard Kiel splits with a sledghammer. How did you get it back together?

Did you put the nugget back underneath, too?

 

[rte]

Dang... One time about 50-odd years ago, I bought a green pan and tried my luck in a little stream on my Bestbud's property (Villa Rica GA). I got 6 BB's, and a couple of .22 slugs. I have learned by watching videos that the two or three pans I tried never had a chance. I was putting the wrong material in the fargin pan. Easy, loose sand. Ah, well.

Helps to be in a gold bearing district.
This pile has some gold...we think it was a pushed up pile from an older commercial mining company.

Right where my finger is pointing has to be a good spot....yes?

 

[DodgebyDave]

I'm afraid that you have fallen into quicksand and will most likely drown

 

[Irons]

View attachment 240487I'm afraid that you have fallen into quicksand and will most likely drown

Growing up when I did and watching the cartoons of the time, I figured banana peels and quicksand were going to be much bigger problems than they turned out to be.



.

 

[rte]

View attachment 240487I'm afraid that you have fallen into quicksand and will most likely drown

Interesting observation.
That would require some water...underground stream, pooled water resource.
All good for sluicing if you did deep enough I guess.
The animals are able to find a water source now and again, but they are tight lipped with the gps coordinates.

If I dig in a grid much like a dream mat, come high water...that should work as a natural sluice box.

 

[DodgebyDave]

Interesting observation.
That would require some water...underground stream, pooled water resource.
All good for sluicing if you did deep enough I guess.
The animals are able to find a water source now and again, but they are tight lipped with the gps coordinates.

If I dig in a grid much like a dream mat, come high water...that should work as a natural sluice box.

the 5 gallon bucket held something..........

 

[DodgebyDave]

Growing up when I did and watching the cartoons of the time, I figured banana peels and quicksand were going to be much bigger problems than they turned out to be.



.

a plate of birdseed in the road is never seen....................

 

[rte]

the 5 gallon bucket held something..........

NAH, that just fell from the sky for a bit of scale.
Gives a little prospective on how much work I got in that day.

 

[Irons]

I finally gave in and ordered an Arbor Fabricating 1/8 #7 mesh stainless steel classifier with side supports. These things are hand made and will last a lifetime and nothing beats it for classifying large amounts of wet or dry material fast. They also sit well under the waterline in a 5 gallon bucket.

I won't need this for prospecting, but once I find a area I want to mine it will make getting the material down to sluice size twice as fast.

Order Summary​

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2200 10.125" X 5" Prospecting Filter Classifier - PATENT PENDING Mesh Size: 1/8" / 7 Mesh Would you like to add side supports?: Yes please (+$15) - 1/2" / 2 Mesh does not need side supports​

$90.00 x 1​

​ $90.00​

​

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​ Shipping To​

​ Shipping Method FEDEX - FedEx Home Delivery®​

Subtotal: $90.00 Discount: $9.00 Shipping: $25.13 Sales Tax: $4.86 Total: $110.99​

 

[Goldhedge]

I'm afraid that you have fallen into quicksand and will most likely drown

Are you standing in that hole or sitting?

 

[newmisty]

Been dealing with the knee issue.
Some of the group were headed out to try some sluicing (it's the desert so bring your own water)
We went out to see everyone and say hello.
Got in a little physical therapy on the knee...did some lite hauling of dirt and rocks (about 1/3 the usual material in the buckets)
The gold results won't be in for a few days...expecting 1/3 of the usual take, but a random picker would not be turned away.View attachment 240198

How much do you reckon 1 five gallon bucket weighed?

 

[rte]

Are you standing in that hole or sitting?

Dang you caught me...
Actually kneeling a bit,
It was more of a photoop thing to text a friend trying to get him to come out and get with the exercise program.

 

[rte]

How much do you reckon 1 five gallon bucket weighed?

40 pounds unclassified material in 3/4 full 5 gallon bucket.
The trommel hopper holds about 1/3 of a bucket ( average of 4 heaping shovel fulls)
After it is run thru the trommel and classified it's more like 35 pounds of 1/4" material in 2/3 full 5 gallon bucket.
(Those buckets get poured off, half into another bucket to lesson the weight yo feed the drywasher)
The lifting of buckets takes its toll as the day goes on.
Would love to have a conveyor system for both...just think of the amount of material that you could move that way.

 

[pitw]

Keep adding stuff to the program and you will soon be on TV.lol

 

[newmisty]

40 pounds unclassified material in 3/4 full 5 gallon bucket.
The trommel hopper holds about 1/3 of a bucket
After it is run thru the trommel and classified it's more like 35 pounds of 1/4" material in 2/3 full 5 gallon bucket.

The lifting of buckets takes its toll as the day goes on.
Would love to have a conveyor system for both...just think of the amount of material that you could move that way.

Makes me think of the treadmill I saw posted on CL and thought about scavenging for parts.
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Somewhat related...